Nov 25, 2020 3 min read

As cases of the novel coronavirus increase exponentially, Washington County President Judge Katherine B. Emery has again declared a local judicial emergency.

Jury trials are canceled through Jan. 31, and arbitration hearings will be conducted through Microsoft Teams video conferencing.

Common Pleas Court judges, however, have discretion to determine when in-person court appearances are essential.

“The courts are doing as much remotely as they can,” said Washington County Court Administrator Patrick Grimm on Tuesday, the day the declaration of judicial emergency was filed.

“We are trying to limit the number of people in our facilities.”

Although the courthouse will remain open to the public, only participants are guaranteed entry into any courtroom, including Common Pleas and magisterial district courts.

When asked, Grimm said the media would not be excluded.

Courtrooms, including staff, are not to exceed 25% capacity, and maintaining less than six feet between participants requires prior approval.

Those entering the building must wear masks, submit to a temperature check and answer screening questions before being admitted past the checkpoint.

Plastic face shields are discouraged for use in court or as an alternative to masks.

Those attending court proceedings at the courthouse complex are to enter the building no more than 15 minutes before the starting time.

On Tuesday, the death toll in the county attributed to COVID-19 climbed to 67, while new cases there increased by 134 above the previous day, the state Health Department reported. Washington County has had 3,886 positive cases of the highly contagious disease.

Some restrictions – such as a two-week pause in jury trials – took effect Nov. 16, and signs in the courthouse Monday notified visitors DUI court was canceled.

These developments were a portent of what was to come.

“If we had a way to notify people ahead of time, we did,” Grimm said of the posted signage. “Folks who were unrepresented or what have you, they may not have realized it was canceled and showed up.”

Delays caused by the judicial emergency will be excluded from a defendant’s right to a speedy trial, subject to constitutional limits, according to the order handed down Tuesday.

Magisterial offices have rules for the timing of cases. Witnesses are to be excused immediately after testifying and must leave the facility.

The first judicial emergency took effect in March as the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Access to the courthouse at that time was restricted through the end of May.